The Angry Minnow

On recommendation, I've been wanting to get to the Angry Minnow Brewpub & Restaurant in Hayward, Wisconsin for a long time. I finally made it today - Earth Day! Everything look good on their eclectic "Up North" menu, but I was told to order the fish sandwich so I did. The waitress said they had just got in the fresh whitefish that this sandwich is made with, so I said that made my decision easier. It was tall, but nothing the knife it was speared with couldn't handle. The fish patty was chopped up fish with a light crispy sear on it to hold it together. The jalapeño slaw, glowing with a pretty pink beet hue, is what made this sandwich so delicious. Tangy and sweet, it filled all the cracks and crevices of the sandwich quite nicely, and after chopping up the tall sandwich with my knife, it was fun to mop up the pink slaw-sauce with the bread pieces.

The atmosphere was hip and laid back. Built by lumber baron Robert L. McCormick in 1889, the historic brick building originally housed the offices of the Northern Wisconsin Lumber Company. The interior is a mixture of exposed brick, archways, high ceilings and wood including hand carved tap handles. Tall windows all around provide plenty of light.

Being the brewpub that it is, The Angry Minnow offers highly sought-after beer which is brewed on site by Brewmaster Jason Rasmussen. Jason creates a unique variety of flavors to satisfy any beer lovers' taste buds. In fact, I heard a story today about how a Minneapolis man in the liquor business begged AMBP to sell him a pallet of beer, but AMBP has too many local, loyal customers who get first dibs on what is produced and AMBP could not oblige the request.

River Pig Pale Ale (very popular), Oaky's Oatmeal Stout, and the delicious Tre Svends IPA now on tap, are some of the names the craft beer lover will be pleased to choose from. If you're not beer connoisseur, don't worry, there is a full liquor bar and wine to select from as well.

Learn more about the Angry Minnow Brewpub & Restaurant at: www.angryminnow.com

Greek Food Find

              Quick Stop, Lindstrom, MN - photo by Rob M. @ yelp.com

Tabbouleh - photo by Paula Elert

Greek food in the land of Swedes? You bet your sweet falafel. Of all places, you can find fresh and delicious Greek food at the Quick Stop gas station located in Lindstrom, Minnesota. Zafir, known as "Zak", is the genius behind the food, cooking up amazing Greek Food in a most unlikely place. You can find fresh gyros (he cooks and cuts the lamb right there), falafel, hummus, dolmades...and my favorite...TABBOULEH made with the freshest cilantro, lemon juice, scallions, and bulgar around. If you're not a Greek food fan the burgers are pretty great too. This place is definitely a hidden gem of Eastern Minnesota and a must try if your driving through, so be sure to stop and say "hi" to Zak (he's a lot of fun).


Quick Stop
30660 Lincoln Rd
Lindstrom, MN 55045
651-257-7911

Florida Crab Claws in western Wisconsin?

Exciting news -- STONE CRAB CLAWS, my favorite thing to eat in the whole world, can now be found a few miles away from my western Wisconsin home (rather than the usual 1,800 miles away). Stone crab claws are unlike their cousin, the snow crab, in the firmness category - they boast flavorful, delicate, super flakey meat which is simply delicious. This Florida Keys favorite is now in stock at Polar Pete's in Saint Croix Falls (www.polarpeteswi.com). I believe they run about $7.99 a pound, but give them a call to double check. Stone crab is usually a pricey delicacy and is in season from October to May, so this is considered a winter and spring treat. For the most part you can’t find it up north...until now.

So what is a stone crab you ask? Stone crab claws come from the stone crab itself, and are just the claws of the crab (one claw is removed and the crab is returned to the ocean to regenerate it). The name "stone" is in reference to hardness of their shell, in which you'll need a mallet to break through.

I like to serve stone crab with a lemon mayo dill sauce to dip it in, which is a common way to serve it in The Keys. Once the crab is cooked, you chill it down and serve it cold. As mentioned, you’ll need a mallet of some sort to break through the hard shell of the claws (usually wooden mallets made specifically for this purpose are used, but a meat tenderizing mallet will do), along with thin seafood forks to get every last bit of the flakey meat out of the shell. Make sure to set your table with an empty bowl for shells as well as napkins and damp towels. Stone crab is deliciously messy. Serve with a side of rice pilaf and enjoy a simple yet delectable meal.

Lemon Mayo Dill Sauce
(Serves 2)
1/3 cup light mayonnaise
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp dill
juice from 1/2 of a lemon

Spices, Spices, Spices!

In an attempt to cure the winter blues (the winter of 2014 has seemed like the longest ever), my husband and I took a mini vacation with some friends and spent the weekend in Stillwater, MN. Always on the lookout for a fabulous foodie find, we came across an exciting new spice shop called "Spice & Tea Co.", adding to the smattering of hip shops that Stillwater is known for.

The owner, Nancy Figueroa, offers a large, unique selection of spices, herbs, hand mixed blends, specialty teas and coffees. Her selection is the freshest and finest I've ever seen. Some of my favorites include flavored salts like lime fusion salt (adds zip to your guacamole or makes a great margarita rimmer), espresso fusion salt (great in mole sauce or sprinkled on homemade chocolate candy), ghost pepper fusion salt (I love this on my eggs). 

All of her offerings are displayed on the wall in large glass jars where you can open and smell the aroma of the product and sample a taste that I promise will inspire and awaken your creativity.

Whether you are a beginner or an expert in the kitchen, Nancy will guide you in your cooking adventures. She loves helping customers expand their menu and introduce new tastes from around the world. The philosophy at Spice & Tea Co. is to make food fun and delicious. Amen!

Check out the shops website for inspiration: myspiceandteaco.com

Spice & Tea Co.
212 South Main Street
Stillwater, MN 55082
651-351-5155

Welcome!

Welcome to Epicurious Foodie! I'm finally getting around to writing my first post and what a post I have to start with. I just returned from a work trip to Chicago where I spent five days looking around the 2014 International Home & Housewares Show in search of the latest and great kitchenwares, gadgets, pots, pans, you name it, for the adorable kitchen store I manage called Acorn Pantry.

Chicago Trade shows boast fun and lavish parties at night, and WOW was I in for an unexpected surprise. We were three of only 24 people invited to privately dine at Chef Rick Bayless's famous Frontera Grill's test kitchen, which is above the restaurant itself. We were greeted by the most wonderful host, Raymond, who immediately offered us one of Rick's perfect margarita's (best I've ever had) and guacamole (to die for).

After the hors d'oeuevres round we were seated at our table and presented with a personalized menu. Yes, it had our name printed at the top which read "Bienvenidos Paula Elert". How cool is that? We went on to enjoy a five course meal courtesy of Rick's protege - a young man who is originally from Mexico. I could list the whole menu here, but I'll spare the reading in this paragraph and rather post a pic of it. The five courses were each paired with an absolutely delicious wine which was either international or domestic. One thing that I know Chef Bayless likes to do is demonstrate how wine can be well paired with Mexican food. The wine selection (chosen by rick's sommelier) hit the nail on the head - perfect flavors, perfect pairings - I literally teared up (although that probably had a little to with the wine itself). These amazing pairings made for a culinary experience I will never forget. Something else that stood out is that although not on the menu, the chef served us corn tortillas that his grandmother used to make simply because he wanted to share with us the delicious recipe he grew up knowing as a child; one he draws inspiration from. This was a sweet, romantic touch to an already splendid meal.

The height of the evening was when Rick himself showed up (and with all that wine in me I kind of had a mini freak out because, after all, he is a rockstar in my eyes). He had to leave quickly for another gig, but Raymond was kind enough to get us a picture with Rick. I thanked Chef Bayless and told him it's because of him that my husband and I run all over southern Baja in search of delectable, regional flavors. He let out a little laugh.

This was a magical dinner and a magical evening, one I couldn't have begged for. I feel like I won the culinary lottery. I am forever grateful to my employer and to Lennox who sponsored this dinner.